US Secretary of State Colin Powell said here on Monday that the latest Ukrainian election is "a historic moment for democracy."

"We congratulate Ukrainians for the courage they displayed in standing up for their democratic rights," Powell told a news conference.

"We call on Ukrainians now to set their divisions behind them and to refrain from violence, separatism or provocations," Powell said.

Claiming that the US supports a democratic process, not a particular candidate, Powell said that the US is prepared to work closely with the winner of Sunday's election as long as the election was won in a free and fair contest.

Ukrainian opposition presidential candidate Viktor Yushchenko was leading Monday by more than eight percentage points over PrimeMinister Viktor Yanukovich in the counting of the presidential re-election ballot, the country's Central Election Commission said.